Leonard McLean (April 9, 1949 - July 28, 1998), better known as “The Guv’nor”, was a famed East End of London bareknuckle fighter, bouncer, former criminal, author, television presenter, and actor; McLean was often referred to as “the hardest man in Britain”.
McLean made his name in the late 1960s and remained famous in the 1970s through to the mid 1980s. McLean stated that he had been involved in between 2,000 to 3,000 fights in his life on the streets or “cobbles”, in pubs and clubs and in the ring. Many consider him the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in the sphere of unlicensed boxing. However, there are some critics who claim McLean was nothing more than a self-promoting bully whose victories were embellished. These people are generally those he beat like Roy Shaw and those he fell out with like his cousin, the famous boxing promoter Frank Warren, who called him “a terrible bully” and questioned his unlicensed boxing record.
Adding to McLean’s strongman and hard man image was his famed weightlifting ability (he once bench pressed 500 pounds). Well known throughout the London criminal underworld, McLean was a much respected and feared figure, often associated with such figures as the Kray Twins, Ronnie Biggs, Ronnie Knight, Dave Courtney and Charles Bronson. He was also well known around the London nightclub scene as a bouncer.
In later life, McLean branched out into acting. His most acclaimed role was in Guy Ritchie’s 1998 British gangster comedy film: Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, playing the part of ‘Barry The Baptist’.
